Beautiful Vintage Photos Of The First Miss Soviet Union Beauty Pageant, 1988 – Design You Trust

Beautiful Vintage Photos Of The First Miss Soviet Union Beauty Pageant, 1988

“Moscow Beauty” was expected to become an annual event where prizes were free travel passes for trips abroad, cash, and luxurious (by Russian standards) gifts.

Beauty pageants (a mainstay in Western culture, particular America) were banned in the Soviet Union since 1959 – no scantily clad ladies, no cheeky fashion, no celebration of beauty and poise.

However, the landscape changed in 1985 with the appointment of Mikhail Gorbachev who became the youngest General Secretary of the communist Party. His appointment ushered in a new era of social freedom for the citizens of the USSR – including the removal of the ban on beauty pageants.

Three years later the first official USSR beauty contest ‘Moscow Beauty 1988’ was held in the Luzhniki Palace of Sports in Soviet Moscow and became a real sensation for the world community.

In the end, a schoolgirl Masha Kalinina won the competition. It wasn’t until the 2nd installment a year later that the winner would be crowned “Miss USSR”. It was a title that remain in place for a further 3 years until the Soviet empire crumbled and the USSR dissolved and faded into the annuls of history.

h/t: rarehistoricalphotos

The first beauty contest in the USSR became a sensation.

The girls signing up.

The contest was sponsored by the up-market German fashion magazine Burda Moden.

Measuring the waist.

“Well, not bad.”

To participate in a beauty contest at that time to a large extent meant to go against the still-prevailing public opinion that only indecent and disgraceful girls took part.

More than 5,000 girls showed up.

Preparing for the contest.

No food, only water.

On the backstage.

Showing up the classic 1980s haircut.

Learning how to walk on stage.

Preparing for the contest.

Lenin doesn’t approve.

In the end, a schoolgirl Masha Kalinina won the competition.

Masha Kalinina signed a long contract with Burda Moden and later appeared on the pages of the magazine.

If you want more awesome content, subscribe to 'Design You Trust Facebook page. You won't be disappointed.

More Inspiring Stories

1935 Mercedes-Benz 540K Streamline Roadster By Erdmann & Rossi
Explorer’s Stunning Photographs of The Arctic Sun from 100 Years Ago
Everyday Lives Of Villagers In Indonesia Captured In Heartwarming Photos
Spencer Elden The Famous Nirvana Baby Recreates The Album Cover 25 Years Later
Paolo Pettigiani Sees New York City's Central Park In Pink And Blue
"Game of Thrones": Two Girls Recreate Their Favourite TV And Film Scenes
Customizing the 1940 Mercury: A Classic Car with Endless Possibilities
The Passion Of Trees In Pictures By Iranian Photographer Ali Shokri
The Beauty Of Italian Architecture Photographed By David Burdeny
Alessandro Servadei Captures Stunning Photos Of Abandoned Industrial Landscapes In Australia
Amazing Photos Of Mongolian Kazakhs Hunting With Eagles
Magic Women's Worlds By Russian Photographer Margarita Kareva
Woman Continues To Hilariously Recreate Celebrity Instagram Photos, And The Result Is Better Than The Original
Strange Things Behind Belgian Windows
Hilarious Snaps Of The Unfortunate Brides Upstaged By Animals On Their Wedding
Starblazer: Forgotten Fantasy Fiction In Pictures
Romanian Artist Colorized Black And White Photos To Bring Memories To Vivid Reality
Photographer Spent 12 Years Taking Pictures Of The Foetus Developing In The Womb
20 Weirdest Images on Google Street View
Madagascar's Monster
Inside Amazon's Very Hot Warehouse
Whimsical Photos of Everyday Objects Playfully Reimagined Through the Eyes of a Child
Swedish Designer Transforms Retro-Styled Household Appliances Into Series Of Cross-Stitch Art
Once Upon The Time: A Project Where Modern Meet Retro